Pacific Northwest

April, 2007
Regional Report

Fertilize Annuals

Annual flowers need loving care during their early weeks of growth in the garden. If you pamper them now, you'll be rewarded with beautiful blooms during midsummer. Sprinkle a 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 1 pound per 100-foot row. Apply it evenly around the plants and scratch it into the soil. Water regularly and thoroughly if spring rains are sparse.

Store Extra Seed

Leftover vegetable and flower seeds can be stored in a cool, dry location for planting next year. One method is to place seed packets in a jar or plastic bag and store them in a cool, dark closet. Another method to keep them fresh is to store them in jars in the refrigerator.

Recycle Grass Clippings

Decomposing grass clippings left on the lawn return valuable nutrients, especially nitrogen, to turf grass. Rake up grass clippings or bag them only when the grass has grown unusually tall between mowings and clumps of mown grass are left on the lawn. Compost those clippings.

Fertilize Asparagus

Stop cutting asparagus when the spears become thinner than the diameter of a pencil. After the last cut is made, fertilize the bed by broadcasting 10-10-10 at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet of row. Allow the tops to grow during the summer to store food in the roots for next year's crop.

Finding the Best Bedding Plants

When choosing bedding plants, look for well-proportioned plants with sturdy stems and unopened buds. The best plants are often found in large, deep cells spaced far apart. These have larger root systems and are less likely to have been stressed while growing.